Conserving and enhancing the character of Dartmoor’s historic built environment and historic vernacular

What does success look like?

Dartmoor’s historic built environment and historic vernacular is in good condition, widely appreciated and understood.

Records are comprehensive, accurate and up to date with quality contributions to the record being made by well-resourced professionals, working across organisations and alongside capable amateurs and stakeholder communities.

How will this be achieved?

We will achieve conservation and enhancement by ensuring that the condition of designated heritage assets, including listed buildings, registered parks and gardens and conservation areas is monitored, improved and maintained by:

  • Continuing to maintain an up-to-date Buildings at Risk Register and seek resources to reduce the number of vulnerable buildings from the list
  • Improving awareness of the condition of Dartmoor’s Listed Buildings through a rolling survey of Listed Buildings and the quinquennial buildings and structures at risk survey
  • Expanding our rolling survey of listed buildings and structures to assess registered parks and gardens and conservation areas by 2024.  Each park, garden or conservation area being treated as a whole
  • Adding to the existing data held on individual properties, by 2024, so that they will be fully geographically referenced and indexed to the corresponding reference numbers of Historic England’s designation register

Partners, including Historic England, will achieve conservation and enhancement by working together to make amendments to the list of designated buildings, structures, parks and gardens, including the following priorities over the life of the Plan:

  • Over the last 20 years a number of listed buildings have been subject to damage by fire. Partners, including Historic England will work over the life of this plan to evaluate the appropriate amendment of designation of these buildings
  • Newly identified buildings, structures and sites which have sufficient architectural, historic, archaeological or artistic interest to meet national criteria will be promoted, and considered by Historic England for appropriate protection
  • Where buildings, structures and sites are considered to no longer meet the national criteria they will be removed from protection, enabling appropriate focus on what is special within Dartmoor.

We will achieve conservation and enhancement by reviewing and updating Dartmoor’s Conservation Area appraisals, and working with local communities to maintain their character and appearance, including the following actions:

  • By the end of 2022 each of the 25 Conservation Area Character Appraisals will be reviewed and a timetable for updating and revising all Appraisals prepared.
  • Following the identification of documents to be revised Partners will, over the life of this Plan, work with local communities towards the updating of documents and boundaries (as necessary) and the production of management proposals and action plans for each Conservation Area.